Sarasota is BEAUTIFUL! Sorry I don't have any pictures yet.

We got here yesterday after running all afternoon in the ICW. We had waited until noon to start because of fog in the morning (the first fog day we've had). We only had to go 60 miles to Sarasota. When we left Clearwater, I had planned to go outside in the Gulf, but Kathy didn't like the 3 ft. waves so we went back into the ICW where the only problem is slow speed "no wake" zones and waiting for bridges to open. Mostly it wasn't a problem because we could go fast in the open water protected bays to make up for the slow ICW speed. We got here about 5:15 PM which is good because sunset is about then and I really don't want to cruise at night.

Marina JAck's Marina, where we're staying is right in the center of downtown Sarasota. You can walk to the neat historic downtown district which is now all art stores, restaurants, antique stores and bars. It's right in the middle of Sarasota's downtown rejuvenation district where they've spent millions making it beautiful and attractive to use. Parks, gardens, walkways, fountains, etc. Kind os a small version of Chicago's lakefront improvements. It's also just a short drive to the Sarasota beach area which is loaded with the same kinds of stores times ten. The marina itself has excellent floating docks, excellent security, very good restaurants, and the view from our aft deck is perfect for sunsets over the water and the park.

We found out today that American Airlines completely hosed us for flying home with Daisy. What they didn't tell us (even when I asked if there are any regulations about flying with dogs when I made the dog reservation) is that they will refuse to take pets if the outside temperatures are forecast to be below 45 degrees at any airport on the itinerary. What do you think the chances are that it'll be above 45 degrees at O'Hare at 6 AM on December 28th?

So now Kathy's going to Chicago but I'm staying here with Daisy (my offer) and working on the boat (I always have a list of things to do) plus lazing around in Sarasota. The boat's already paid for at this marina. We'll call more kennels on Monday, but they all seemed to be full when we tried in mid-November. If we can get a reservation for Daisy at a kennel, I'll come too. What a hassle! No thanks to American Airlines.